Lock nut



Patented dan. 30, 1923.

WESTERN SPECIALTY MANUFACTURING ooMPANY, oEyAN'ooUvER, wAsmNGf-KV TON, A oonPoEATroN or WASHINGTON.

u l, LOCK NUT.

Application mea November 7, 1921..` serial N0.f51'3,321.

GEORGE This invention relates more particularlyto mea-ns for locking a vnut to a bolt.

The objects of our invention are to provide an exceedingly simple and eiiicientv means for preyenting a nutfrom being lost from=v1brat1on or other causes without requiring the use of a' special form of bolt orl the injuring of thethreads by the injudicious-useof a wrench upon a locked nut.

In the-production of this device we are' aware that many formsk of lock nuts and washers havebeen constructed, but findl in every casein what appear to besimilar devices that the -nut and the Washer can `turn together when being locked, resulting there-l by in a tight nut rather than a lock nut. We have therefore constructed a nut which turns independently fromy its washer when being screwed into place but engages same whenany force is exerted to back the nut olf.

We accomplish these-results inl the manner set forth in the following specication and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which: l l

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a nut showing same attached to a bolt. Figure 2 is a plan ofy a nut from theilock side. Figure 3 is anelevation showing the nut without the washer `in place. Figure 4 shows a modilied form of constructing the nut. Figure 5 illustrates the nut being used in caseswhere it cannot be bolted up tight, as in connection with iish plates, etc. Figure 6 is a plan of a washer. Figure 7 isv a vertical section through a washer.

Similar numbers of referencerefer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawing, we have altered the standard nut 10 by slightly counterboring its threaded hole 11 to lthe diameter 12 and tapered off the bottom 13 of its counterbore to about seventy degrees with the axis of the bolt 14 which wehave illustrated passingy through the plates 15, We have constructed a washer 16 of rela- HAwLni'-, citizens ofv tively soft flat wire having rounded 17.'l

In Figure v5 we have illustrated the use of"y two of these nuts with their locked sides ad#` 'jacentbeing 1 employed to secureltogether plates between which. a certain amount of play or looseness is to be maintained lwithout Vthe danger*of-thatloosenessvarying.

lt must be understood that the counterbore 12 and th'eicountersinkl must be extremely -v smooth and may' in some'instancesfeven reloluire polishing, although suificient-Smooth-l nessl may be obtained for all ordinary '-pur` poses by the' useo'f high carbon drills propf erly ground with a verylightfee'd' andthe l applicationof av good cuttinglubricant'.

As above suggested, there are a great many varieties o f locknuts and washers now employed in, which the nut andthe washer in reality'become a tight nut whentur-ned ineitherl directio-n, krather than a locknut" which should resist rotation-in onedirection lbecome engaged when being tightened and s only...v F or this purpose4 wef'have provided L;

lthe smooth portions 12'and`13, abovereferred to, v'which have' a much smaller amount.`` i

of friction :than do the threadsl of the lbolts In order to prevent the-softmetal washer? from remaining on the bolt when' it v-is'desired to remove the nut, and also to provide greater resistance to any backing-.off force.' y `we have'provide'd the angular channel 18vv l which may bemilled, forged or 'produced` l witha cold chisel, as' shown-in` Figurej'4-i which. willpermit thecompressed washer to enter the channel 18 and kany backing off of` the 'nut 10 would only increase'thej` degreel of engagement between the nut and the washer and permit same to oifervg'reaterreby the ever-present fact that its construc-y tion tended to unlockrather than lock a nut*l to a bolt.

The operation of our device is as follows: When desiring to employ onefof these devices it isA only necessaryto insert the washer 8o uponrwhich the soft metal washer 16 becomes embedded' when the lock nut is inpla'c'e.'`

16 in the recess .12. The washer 16 being slightly "larger than its V'recess projects somewhat past the face of the nut and encounters the plate earlier than does the nut. Further pressure from the nut merely squeezes the'sott metal washer in against the threads yithout turning saine, as is ordinarily the case. v

It will be seen in Figure 5, where the two nuts are used together, that it will..be-necessary to entirely strip the threads which have been 'formed on the inside oit' the washer in order to remove the `nut nearest the plate 15. lt will be understood, however, that in such instances it is notnecessary nor desirable to employ the channel 18 as one of the functions of this channel isto 'assistthe nut 10 in rotating the washer V16 in one direction.

When using 'the nut 'on any tace where the parts are held tightly together place the nut on the bolt with the recess 12 and the washer 16 in contact with the face. Forcinfr the nut against the 'tace crushes the so 't washer into locking position. These conditions vrequire the use of the slot 18 'which engages the washer when removing the nut and causes both to come-oit together.

When using the-nut on a. bolt in places not permitting a tight or a rigid union suoli as on -inotor trucks and machinery where castellated nuts are'used, oron fish plates as used on railroads where ay certain degree of. movement is required, put the nut on without the slot or channel and with the recess and washer outward or away from .the sh plate, tighten to the desired lirniness and then slip on the soft bander washer 16, holding the nut with a wrench and then put on another plain nut with a smooth surfacer which comes in Contact with the soft washer 16which is forced by the second nut into the locking position. l/Vheii crushed into the locking position then remove the outer nut-or in other words, the plain standard nut which was used as a jambnut to seal, the lock. To remove the lock nut so applied, Awhich has a polished recess and no slot or channel to engage the washer, requires the nut to torce ythe sott washer over the rough threads on a stripping principle makingthe lock nut imperthe recess outwardor away from the Ytraine and then put on a sott washer of double the usual width and then put on the other nut provided with the channel 18 placed in a manner that the washer iscaught between vthe two recesses when the nuts are forced,

together.

ei'ng aware of the advancement. of this art we do not claim this device broadlj7 but only within the limits set forth in the following claims.

What we claim as new is:

1. A locl; nut consisting of a standard y nut having one end of its tapped hole counterboied4 and countersunli, in combination with a sott metal washer having an elongated section with rounded edges, said counterbore tace having a channel cut across its Jtace at an angle between its tangent and radius in a manner to cut into said soft washer when nut is backed off.

2. The combination of a bolt, a pair of nuts placed on said bolt with their straight faces adjacent, each oit' said flat faces having formed therein a shallow, enlarged, polished cavity around its threaded hole and a soft metal washer completely i'illing both of said cavities and eXti-uding between said nuts. The outer one ot said nuts having av means tor rotating said washerl only when said nuts are backed olf.

3. rlhe combination ot a bolt with a soft metal washer having a flat cross section and slightly iouiid d edges with a bolt nut liaving a smooth recessed cavity ladaptedto partly receive said washer and having a -point projecting` from the side ot said cavity in a manner that it will slide ovei'v said soft metal washer when the nut is tightened and rotatably engage same when the nut backed off.

GEORGE LAFEVER. B XTES E. HAWLEY' 

